Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
TABLE of CONTENTS
SPECIAL FOCUS:
1 Womens Reproductive Rights:
Synonymous with Global
Stability
Womens Reproductive
9 Health & Environment
Rights: Synonymous with
Unveiling The Environmental
Causes of Developmental
Global Stability
Disabilities in Children
Leonardo Trasande MD, MPP
16 Voices We have a global epidemic: womens lack of sexual rights and subsequent
lack of access to sexual reproductive health. Additionally, it is the worlds
COP 23, Bonn, Germany
most vulnerable women - young girls and refugees - who are the most af-
United Nations Environment
fected. These women and girls are trapped in cultures of misogyny which
Assembly
is exacerbated by the Wests hesitancy to provide financial aid and refugee
hosting support, including family planning services. Consequently, women
17 Good News with no reproductive autonomy are pouring out of crisis and conflict zones
Outdated DDT- and into overwhelmed and heavily burdened host countries.
Contaminated Pesticide This articles intent and purpose is to be a voice for women and girls who
Ivory Crush in New York have none. Many of them them undergo genital mutilation (FGM) with no
Cameroon Bans Lead Paints anaesthesia starting around age 6 due to old archaic customs. Currently,
200 million girls and women have had their genitals mutilated. It is time
20 Point of View to discuss these women and their sexual reproductive rights in the open.
One in four girls is married as a child, 130 million girls receive no schooling
Education brings Choices. and 71% of human trafficking victims are female. One in three women will
Choices bring Power. experience violence from their partner, and currently 214 million women
of reproductive age in developing countries cannot use any contraceptive
method to avoid pregnancy.
The World Ecology Report
is printed on recycled paper.
Somalia, and Zambiaall countries rocked by conflict and humani-
WOMEN ARE MOST VULNERABLE IN
tarian crises. (7) In addition, these are all areas where women have
CRISIS AND CONFLICT
few human rights, and lack of access to sexual reproductive health.
The unaddressed need for womens contraception exacerbates the
explosion in population, stressing these fragile states to points of
Due to the current explosion of the refugee crisis, it is particularly chaos and contributes to the growing refugee crisis. (8)
important that the issue of contraceptives and family planning be At an event held during September at the United Nations General
addressed. At the end of 2016 the number of forcibly displaced peo- Assembly in New York, UNFPAs Acting Executive Director, Dr.
ple stood at 65.6 million. Natalia Kanem, explained how an aid workers focus is primarily to
There is little awareness that womens reproductive rights are syn- find food, shelter, and access to immediate medical care rather than
onymous with global stability. Considering the bulk of the refugee to family planning. Furthermore, areas affected by conflict receive
crisis, COMES from areas in crisis and conflict - with exploding and 50 percent less funding for reproductive services compared to non-
unstable populations - ignoring the contraceptive needs of women conflict zones, (17) and while conflict areas are the most neglected,
only adds to the continuing expl sion of the poor. (3, 4,5) they are among the most important: The risks [women and girls]
Muslim majority nations can no longer have the luxury of face are disproportionately high, and the services and support avail-
labelling womens contraception as taboo. Christian nations can no able to them are disproportionately low, Kanem adds. (8, 9, 10,11,
longer force a faith-based approach to family planning. Our deci- 12, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) Conflicts and their aftermath can have dire
sions must be grounded in evidence: Global stability depends on it.
Furthermore, governments cannot sit idly while women around the The risks [women and girls] face are
world are being raped, abused, condemned to a life of violence and
disproportionately high...
poverty, and forced to bear children they - nor the society they are
born into - can support. consequences for reproductive health since:
The refugee crisis is fuelled by systematic and unchecked a. the preponderance of political emergencies occurs in the worlds
population booms in crisis and conflict zones. For instance, in Niger, poorest nations where the populations pre-conflict health is often
the population is estimated to increase from 21 million in 2017 to already lacking.
over 192 million in 2100. Currently, half of their population is under b. as health systems collapse and people flee in search of safety, ac-
the age of 15. Adolescent birth rates are among the highest cess to health facilities becomes limited, or completely obliterated.
NEW SOLUTIONS
2. Increasing Evidence For The Role Of Chemical 5. Endocrine Disruption And The Developing Brain
Exposures
Thyroid hormone has long been known to be critical to early brain
Population studies quantify strong and consistent associations with development
World Information Transfer
World Ecology Report 9
Winter 2017
development
- Predictable outcomes of its disruption include global IQ deficits, as
well as neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism spectrum dis-
order (ASD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Interference with sex steroid and other hormonal modes of action
may also adversely impair early brain development.
6. Organophosphate Pesticides
b. Failing to Prevent is Costly: Safe and Simple Steps to Limit Pesticide Exposures
-Environmentally attributed costs of lead poisoning, methylmercury Before the US Environmental Protection Agency (USPA)s phase out of di-
toxicity, asthma, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, azinon and chlorpyrifos, which resulted from FQPA, these two pesticides
childhood cancer, intellectual disability is at $76.6 billion (Trasande were frequently detected in the cord blood of NYC children
and Lui Health Affairs, 2011). - Also, associated with decrements in birth weight and length
-Global cost of lead exposure in developing countries is about $992 - After phase outs, the pesticides and association with predictors of cogni-
billion (1.0% of GDP), and $227 billion (2.0% of GDP) in China (At- tive potential were no longer detected. (Whyatt RM et al EHP 2004)
tina and Trasande EHP 2013)
Source: A Bangladeshi rickshaw puller rides past smoke created by burning waste materials on a street in Dhaka. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
According to the most comprehensive global analysis to date, Pol- problem in the world, he said.
lution kills at least nine million people and costs trillions of dollars
every year, threatening the continuing survival of human societies. Source: Lancet paper: http://www.thelancet.com/commissions/
The vast majority of the pollution deaths occur in poorer nations pollution-and-health
and in some, such as India, Chad and Madagascar, pollution causes
a quarter of all deaths For more info on chemical pollution & brain development, see:
Landrigan said his biggest concern was the unknown im- http://www.chemtrust.org/brain/
pact of the hundreds of industrial chemicals and pesticides already
widely dispersed around the world: I worry we have created a situ- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/19/global-pol-
ation where people are exposed to chemicals that are eroding in- lution-kills-millions-threatens-survival-human-societies
telligence or impairing reproduction or weakening their immune
system, but we have not yet been smart enough to make the connec- Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the
Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What
tion between the exposure and the outcome, because it is subtle. On
mankind must know is that human beings cannot live
Wednesday, a horrific plunge in the abundance of vital insects was without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without
reported, with pesticides a possible cause. humans.
-Evo Morales
Pollution has not received nearly as much attention as cli-
mate change, or Aids or malaria it is the most underrated health
The third session of the United Nations En- 3. Announce your organisations pol-
vironment Assembly will take place in Nai- lution-beating commitments to the public
robi from 4 to 6 December 2017 under the and media in the run-up to the Assembly.
theme Towards a Pollution-Free Planet.
World Information Transfer
16 World Ecology Report
Winter 2017
ported over long distances, and biomagni- Recommendation for a global ban of Dicofol
fies in animals, threatening the food chain,
and noted that, a safe concentration in the After a 5-year assessment, the outdated
environment cannot be established. DDT-contaminated pesticide has finally
Patrick Breysse, director of the National been recommended for a global ban. While
Centre for Environmental Health at the US many countries had already taken action to
Centers for Disease Control, described the rid their agriculture of this old persistent
fluorinated chemicals in firefighting foam as toxic pesticide, some, like Australia, still
one of the most seminal public health chal- have many current registrations for its use.
lenges for the next decades. Around the Dicofol is a pesticide that uses DDT in its
UN Expert Committee world, PFOA has contaminated the drinking production and is found in milk, baby for-
Recommends Global Ac- water of millions of people. As a result, thou- mula, eggs, fruits, vegetables, human breast
tion On Outdated DDT- sands of residents, including their children, milk, and blood. Dicofol is very toxic to
Contaminated Pesticide
have very high PFOA levels that pose life- aquatic animals and causes reproductive
ROME, ITALY A UN technical committee long threats to health and well-being, said damage in birds. It is an endocrine disruptor
has determined that Dicofol, an outdated Dr. Mariann Lloyd-Smith, Senior Advisor, and suspected human carcinogen.
DDT-contaminated pesticide should be IPEN and National Toxics Network. The Persistent Organic Pollutants Review
eliminated globally under the Stockholm Committee (POPRC) is a subsidiary body
Convention, an international treaty that Regrettable Substitutes to the Stockholm Convention established
bans the worlds most hazardous chemical for reviewing chemicals proposed for list-
pollutants. The expert committee tackled Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is used ing under the Treaty. The POPRC conducts
a recommendation for adding PFOA to the in textiles, carpet protectors, leather, paper- a review process for proposed chemicals
treaty, including possible exemptions for making, pesticides, electroplating, oilfield, and makes critical decisions on whether
continued uses. PFOA is known as the Tef- firefighting foams, photosensitive material chemicals are likely, as a result of their long-
lon chemical or C8 and has widely polluted and some synthetic materials. PFHxS is ex- range environmental transport, to lead to
drinking water throughout the world. The tremely persistent, does not break down in significant adverse human health and/or en-
Committee began evaluation of the indus- the environment, and stays in the human vironmental effects such that global action
trys fluorinated substitute, PFHxS, which body far longer than PFOS and PFOA. It is warranted. Members of the POPRC are
has been widely used as an alternative for is found in blood, breast milk and umbili- government-designated experts in chemical
PFOS. PFOA has been used not only to cal cord blood. PFHxS has been detected in assessment or management.
make non-stick cookware, but also for the air, soil, sewage sludge and in many species,
manufacture of semi- conductors, textiles including in polar cod, glaucous gull, ringed Source: IPEN is an international NGO com-
such as Goretex, photographic paper, medi- seals and polar bears in the Arctic. The in- prised of over 500 organizations in 116
cal devices, firefighting foams and even in dustry urged using PFHxS in place of PFOS. countries that work to reduce and eliminate
ski waxes. The Committee concluded that The industry replaced one bad chemical, hazardous, toxic substances internationally
PFOA was linked to, high cholesterol, ul- PFOS, with another bad chemical, PFHxS, and within their own countries. IPEN has
cerative colitis, thyroid disease, testicular said Ms. Pamela Miller, IPEN Co-Chair and been actively involved in the POPRC pro-
cancer, kidney cancer and pregnancy-in- a principal investigator of the National In- cess for thirteen years.
duced hypertension and presumed to be stitutes of Health-funded community-based
an immune hazard to humans. PFOA does research project on health effects in Indig-
not degrade in the environment, is trans- enous communities in the Arctic.
World Information Transfer
World Ecology Report 17
Winter 2017
Cameroon Bans All Paints
Containing More Than
Ivory Crush in New York Citys 90ppm Total Lead
Central Park
In July 2017, a new report conducted by CREPD
(Centre de recherch et dEducation pour le
development) in partnership with IPEN, pre-
sented new data on the total lead content of sol-
vent-based paints for home use available on the
market in Cameroon. The report also prevents
background information on why the use of lead
paint is a source of serious concern, especially
to childrens health. Finally, it proposes action
steps by different stakeholders to protect chil-
dren and others from lead paint.
After a review of national policy frameworks
that was in place to ban or restrict the manufac-
ture, import, export, distribution, sale and use
of lead paint, and provides a strong justification
to adopt and enforce further regulatory controls
in Cameroon, a regulation was enacted on Sep-
tember 21st, 2017(Gilbert Kuepouo of CREPD
Cameroon reported via ipennetwork on Octo-
ber 9th, 2017).
SOURCE: http://ipen.org/news/new-report-lead-
solvent-based-paints-home-use-cameroon
On August 3rd, 2017, nearly two tons of sized Japanese sculptures, called netsuke, in-
ivory (trinkets, statues and jewelry) crafted tricately carved into monkeys, rabbits and
from the tusks of at least 100 slaughtered other fanciful designs.
elephants were destroyed in a rock crusher The ivory pieces sent to the crush-
in Central Park to demonstrate New York er included more than $4.5 million worth
states commitment to smashing the illegal seized by undercover investigators from
ivory trade. Metropolitan Fine Arts & Antiques in New
Since August 2014, New York York City in 2015. In pleading guilty last
State has laws in place to prohibit the sale, week to illegally selling ivory, the stores
purchase, trade or distribution of anything owners agreed to donate $100,000 each to
made from elephant or rhino horns except the World Wildlife Fund and Wild Tomor-
in limited situations with state approval. The row Fund for their endangered species pro-
enforcement effort has focused in New York tection projects. Wild Tomorrow Fund is
City, the largest port of entry of illegal wild- using part of its donation to pay for DNA
life goods as reported by state officials. analysis of the ivory artifacts to determine
These ivories confiscated over the their age and what parts of Africa they came
years from illegal dealers in New York state from.
is sending a message to poachers around
Half of the harm that is done in this
the world that these ivory is now worthless, world is due to people who want to feel
and the Ivory crush is aimed to discourage important. They dont mean to do harm,
but the harm does not interest them.
poaching around the world. The artifacts as
seen in the images included piles of golf ball- -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965)
LATIN AMERICA:
Prof. Patricia Munoz Tavira Never doubt that a
Willemsstraat 14/0306 small group of thoughtful
1210 Brussels, Belgium committed citizens can
Tel: 32 (0) 48 66 79006 change the world. Indeed
E-mail: patriciatavira@gmail.com
its the only thing that
USA: ever has
Fred Yonghabi
World Information Transfer, MARGARET MEAD
22nd floor, 475 Park Ave. S.
New York, NY, 20016
World Information Transfer
World Ecology Report 19
Winter 2017
POINT OF VIEW
Neither Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nor the elimination Formerly, abortion was illegal in all circumstances still the case in five
of poverty will be achieved until the world addresses the issue of other countries:
human rights (including sexual rights) for women and girls. Until
then, the birth of children destined to a suffering existence of 1. Dominican Republic,
hunger, disease, lack of education, and sexual abuse will continue. 2. El Salvador,
children who are used and abused turn to violence and crime 3. Malta,
against both themselves (drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.) and others 4. Nicaragua, and
(murder, rape and abuse). 5. Vatican City
Since the advent of monotheistic religion, the position of women has Now it is available for women who are raped, when the fetus is not
been solidified to a second class status. Monotheism, indisputably viable, or the womans life is in danger. Women are particularly at risk
brought about a male dominated world and for over two thousand of rape or sexual exploitation during and after conflict and natural
years with very few exceptions, women had to accept their service- disasters.
oriented position. Male dominance was and still is in many parts
of the world preeminent and in most traditional societies women On Oct 11, the International Day of the Girl Child, the UN launched the
continue to be at a disadvantage. campaign EmPOWER Girls: Before, During and After Emergencies. Also
the World Trade Organisation members are working on a declaration on
Some of the answers to equality are democracy, human rights, gender equality for their member states. Also, recently the Secretary
opportunities in business, politics and responsibilities at home. General of the UN stated that we need to end the current long standing
The international court can look at aggression and violence bureaucracy and move on with agendas that will achieve the SDG goals.
against women when the individual governments refuse. Business
development with the assistance of multi-national institutions can This cant be achieved without womans full participation in addressing
assist in integrating women into the workforce at every level. the continuous population explosion! Governments, religions and agencies
have the responsibility to implement addressing and resolving the
Politically, it is necessary to enable women to promote their problems of inequality of women.
agenda including birth control. Since the advent of Information
Communication Technology (ICT) women in many places have As stated by Pope Francis:
rapidly taken advantage of the Internet. Although the changes have
been impressive in enabling women to communicate
practical information on news, work personal relationships, Some people think that - excuse my expression here -
entertainment and travel, the gender stereotypes still persist, that in order to be good Catholics we have to be like rabbits.
particularly in governments where male dominance still prevails as No. Parenthood is about being responsible. This is clear.
does interference on many levels of the right of women to control
their own bodies. -Pope Francis, 2015, Philippines